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Thursday, January 29, 2015

"Exploding" Pakatan "Imploding" Barisan

A Kadir Jasin

WHILE the Barisan Nasional (BN), with the help of the
mainstream media, is instigating the disintegration of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR),
the grand old coalition itself is in danger of an implosion.

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With Umno, the dominant partner of the 13-party coalition,
is in a state of near paralysis due to lack of leadership, member parties are
going their separate ways and imploding.

MIC crisis: BN parties striking out on their own

Look at the above picture of the squabbling MIC members. Weak BN leadership is encouraging component parties to go their own ways. In the MIC, the
challenge against the lightweight President G. Palanivel started from the early
days he succeeded the autocratic but hugely popular (Tan Sri) S Samy Vellu in
December 2010.

With the BN Chairman (Datuk Seri) Mohd Najib Abdul Razak
himself facing growing discontent within his own party, he does not appear to
be able to lend a helping hand, not only to the squabbling Indian party, but to
others in the BN.

Despite being the smallest of the original Alliance/BN
parties, MIC is important to the grand old coalition because the Indians
generally support the BN. With the Chinese-based MCA and Gerakan having been
rejected by the Chinese, continuous Indian support is crucial. But a weak MIC
could drive away BN’s Indian votes.

Instead of fighting the real foes – the PR – the Umno
psychological warfare machinery went Don Quixotic and fought the windmill,
believing that party critics like (Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad and (Tun) Daim
Zainuddin are the enemies.

They committed the ultimate misstep by enlisting
Opposition Leader (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim and his PKR cohorts to attack Daim
on prime time TV and in the Umno-controlled newpapers.

After failing to split PR over the Selangor Menteri Besar
crisis last year, they now co-opt the PKR “general leader” (Ketua Umum) as their
spokesman on corruption.

But after Daim issued a press statement saying that he knew
who was behind the campaign, the hyenas ran helter-skelter, and some of them may
be made the scapegoats to safe the boss and his powerful messenger.

Mohd Najib should be less gullible and spend more time running the country and party. He should by now realise that not
everybody in his payroll are as good as they promoted themselves to be.

He should stop following his daydreaming Don Quixote's on
their silly missions fighting the windmills.

Be mindful of Don Quixote in the Umno media

The
Sarawak Factor

Another sign of the BN parties striking out on their own is
clearly visible Sarawak, a key state for the ruling coalition.

There the state-based BN parties are exerting their
influence ahead of the state legislative assembly election, which has to be
held before June next year.

The state government is surreptitiously flexing its muscle
over immigration by barring many Peninsula residents from entering the state.
Even civil servants and GLC employers are subjected to closer scrutiny now before
being allowed entry.

The supposedly weak and amiable (Tan Sri) Adenan Satem is
proving to be more decisive than his predecessor (Tun) Taib Mahmud in some key
areas like corruption and abuse of power.

If the state BN fails to roll back the PR advance as seen
during the 2011 state election and the 2013 general election, the BN could end
up losing more seats in future polls in the state.

As for the explosion in the PR that the BN is trying hard to
instigate, the answer rests neither with the BN nor the existing PR leadership.

The future of the opposition alliance rests with its younger
and more idealistic leaders, and their youthful supporters.

The PR is likely to do better in attracting young voters and
fence sitters if it can wean itself from the existing leadership which is built
around old-timers like Anwar, Lim Kit Siang and Abdul Hadi Awang.

As I told two members of PAS supreme council a couple of
weeks ago, if they are serious about taking over the country, all the three PR
parties must stop petty squabbles and put forward the best in brain and
policies.

They should not base their optimism purely on the perceived
weakness of the BN. Umno and the BN still have time to improve if leadership
reshuffle takes in the near future.

I told them that if ever they win, they can choose to banish
Mohd Najib and his merry men (and women) to the mythical Laut Kalzum (Kalzum
Sea) to be devoured by the Garuda, but 1MDB will not disappear. The debt-laden
sovereign fund will become their problem. So are other issues the country is
now facing.

Earlier, I told a DAP MP from Johor that we are all in a big
steamy stadium with angry supports at each other’s throat. We must know how to
control the crowd, locate the emergency exits and avoid a stampede. If we are
not willing to compromise, we may be trampled to death.

And the end of the day, it’s not about politics but about
the country.

And to the two Umno’s pembesar – one a minister and the
other a state executive councillor - who were gracious and “brave” enough to
join blogger Apanama and I last night, let me repeat what I say – the future of
Umno, the Malays and Islam is far more important than the future of any one
person in Umno.

Just in case Mr Don Quixote is curious, we were not
conspiring. Just that we happened to bump into each other at the mamak shop.

I really love this phrase 'the future of UMNO, the Malays and Islam is far more important than the future of any one person in UMNO'. Are the current leaders of UMNO have the gut to lead our Country to prosperity again ?? We will see... We will see...

Some have been saying for years that when anwar leaves, a natural course will follow. Fence sitters are afraid of anwar and what he will bring to the table. Hardcore defenders of umno are guys that are making a living or mere mercenaries. Those that genuinely care for the nation have no time and money to shop in oxford street, have no worries about late payments by the government to service their lavish lifestyle. Some have doubted najib from the very beginning because this guy never fought and earned his stripes. Semua diberi jadi dia ingat bila dia bagi brim suma orang hati girang macam dia.

Good to know you are still writing piece after piece of the true reflection of the feelings of the average peace loving guy trying to live a peaceful and quiet life.

And btw i was always confused by the allahuaklam. I see no k but then it hit me, the k is for an apostrophe. Allahua''lam in other words. Is this true or am i still missing something

A well balanced article which articulates the whole picture well Datuk.

It reads like Thailand before General Prayut took power or Weimar Germany before Hitler.

When democracy has turned dysfunctional,the country is a rudderless ship and economic matters weigh hard upon the people, often that is when the ordinary people welcome strong leadership offering a way out of the mess but Malaysia has no equivalent of Syriza which promises to go against the much hated austerity imposed upon the Greek people by the European Union, especially Germany.

"Party Sosialis Malaysia" I hear someone say!

Nah! PSM has been brown nosing Pakatan Rakyat for some years until Pakatan farted in PSM's face and rejected the latter's attempts to be accepted into the pact.

Left social democratic Syriza partners with rightist Independent Greeks to fight the much hated austerity imposed by the western imperialist finance capital, whilst PSM allies with Pakatan and sundry pro-opposition NGOs (quite a few Soros or NED funded) against the Barisan Nasional.

PSM is no Syriza.

Malaysian politics would be quite a comedy, if it were no so pathetic.

Let's recap. There was euphoria to conduct postmortem on UMNO/BN poor performance in GE13. Questions are now whether such serious postmortem had indeed been conducted and if so what're their findings and are they taking actions to address all the critical issues.

The fact that TDM has withdrawn his support for DSN coupled with the incessant onslaught against TDM and TDZ albeit a so-called ceasefire, via UMNO-controlled mainstream media are evidence enough that the euphoria stated above is just a rhetoric that's synonymous with UMNO.

Time is still on UMNO side to correct the wrongs and to alleviate the shortcomings. Identify who the real enemies are.

And a reminder to those who had been leeching within and outside the PMO. Their misdeeds and personal agenda will be exposed and suffer the consequences. After all, according to TDZ, he has already identified who the mastermind is.

1. Debater Shirmoot, among other things, wrote: "And btw i was always confused by the allahuaklam. I see no k but then it hit me, the k is for an apostrophe. Allahua''lam in other words. Is this true or am i still missing something."

2. That's the spelling used by the Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu of the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka and is pronounced walla hu a’lam (والله أعلمُ ).

3. I can only guess that “ak” in the spelling is equivalent to “ain” (ﻉ)in Arabic alphabet.

So yes Pakatan's exploding, but Pakatan will explode and burst into pieces by the their own bellowed noises rather than their unfounded voices.

In turn, Barisan National will go through a therapy of implosion, an attempt to develop confidence despite the adversed events. Though it is too late to reassure that the majority is still with Barisan.

In the end it would bring about a situation whereby the country is going through a rough spell of political chaos with social unrest and political turmoil. It depletes its economy, social and state of exhausted finance as prerequisite for a "bankrupt" nation.

And bangsa Melayu will live happily ever after, benefiting from their continuous bickering and dissent (tak pasal-pasal) among themselves led by their sinister leadership.

How is it that Syria once a peaceful country is now in chaos and yet Bashar is still around? Do you think Saudi Arabia won't follow suit now that Yemen' Houthis is in control to the south and ISIL is getting popular in Egypt?

What would be the tipping point here and there?It is no consolation when the Americans are a bankrupt nation with dubious leadership.

What would be the tipping point?Malays in heavy debts and Mecca only for the wealthy capitalist Malays?

And how long would Sarawak would want to be part of the Federation getting only 6% oil royalty?

The first time I came to know the term "implosion" was when I read vacuum technology. A vacuum chamber, be it just a normal vacuum, high vacuum or even ultra-high vacuum must have wall that capable to stand up against the atmospheric pressure, ie, about 101.3 kPa (101.03 kN/sq. meter ~ 14.2 pound per sq inch). In the case of UMNO/BN, the strength of the outside force (read the PR force) seems to increase with time, GE after GE. It is not an implosion, rather it is a breakdown under an ever increasing opposing force. The only chance for UMNO/BN to survive this is by making PR disintegrate. PR is heavy enough to disintegrate given the neutral element within the coalition is made larger or smaller than its stable proportion. However, taking the lesson from nuclear decay, it produces hazardous radiations; similarly, a disintegrating PR may produce loose canons that are equally dangerous.Cheers.

Salam sdr Kadir, Your last paragraph speaks volume about the situation in this country."let me repeat what I say – the future of Umno, the Malays and Islam is far more important than the future of any one person in Umno"To me this is the crux of the matter.I love to read debators who argue on these topics.The question of 5W and 1H should be the content in our discussion

What,Why,who,When,and how.What caused the problem, is it leadership or the party member, or the general public?

Why there was a problem to begin with?

Who caused this problem... this is most difficult question.

When was the problem identified, or do we just miss the whole picture.

How do we fix this problem.

With due respect some of our debaters have a good analytical mind and their opinion worth a lot to the Malays.But others are more personel and which I try to ignore.We seldom discuss the merit of Dr. Mahathir suggestion,neither we discussed PM merit.I think the whole ideas how do we menage this country and ensure that Islam remain the domonant factors in our country at least as a religion. Other aspect of life we need some time.

I did asked some well known Malays, why dont they write and give ideas instead belittle the effort of other mediocre Malays. They are a bit scared since since they used to have many staff before and the responce is just wait and see.Well I think we are going to face huge problem if you guys did not come onboard.Sdr Kadir, I did research on this Malay issue,and I think you are sincere in trying to help.I read in your writing,quite substantial Malays criticize you, but Allhamdulliah you are very calm and relaxed and more important you do not shoot at your citique.

Honestly Sdr kadir, I am at the loss.Our Malays brother unable to see the big challenges waiting for them. I am scared even to think at it.

If the Opposition Coalition wants to move ahead in the Interest of Malaysians for the future, they must jettison PAS and try to garner votes from disillusioned PAS members.

There is no point talking to Jihadists and Religious extremists...They are only interested in promoting their personal agenda in the name of religion.

It is more likely that PAS will merge with UMNO for the next general elections in order to Bring Malaysia into an Era of Malay Muslim Extremism for Malaysia. Malaysia will be eventually left behind by Indeonesia and the rest of ASEAN in the coming decades.

2. I think we have. Politically, (Tun) Dr Mahathir wants Umno to be strong again so that it can gain the respect and support of other BN parties.

3. The PM, on the other hand, seems not to have a clear idea of how to make Umno strong again. Even Umno HQ is in a mess with key officials appear more interested in seeking party posts for themselves than running the HQ.

4. On Jan 30 a group of former Umno MPs and State Assemblymen met Dr M.

6. This is the SMS sent to me by one of them - a Tan Sri - "I met Tun Mahathir on 30 Jan with some leaders of ---- and Tun Mahathir thinks Najib must step down immediately."

The questions are:- WE believe that unity brings strength. PAS may be brought to UMNO fold once again, BUT for the sake of what? Is it for the sake of UMNO (better read as Pembesar UMNO) or the Malays?- The plight of the Malays was and are rooted to our generally weak and ineffective economic enterprise. In more than 50 years in power why there is NO the like of TESCO and GIANTS, just to name a few, initiated by UMNO for their ardent and die hard Malay supporters? If some chosen Pembesar UMNO can play with billions of RM in 1MDB, what the heck can't they device Malay dominated chain of superstores, transport services and supply chain? Is it enough for the Pembesar UMNO to ask Malays "merebut peluang-peluang ekonomi" knowing very well that their Malay supporters are NOT in the same business league as the Chinese or even the Indians? If the answer to this question is lack of business knowledge and skills among the Malays and we believe it, then we have to accept the inevitable, that is, the Malays will slowly but surely be marginalised from this land. I DO believe that there are many business smart Malays that their talents are not tapped. The present UMNO leadership do NO have the will and courage to embark on down to earth unioque and noble business programs to strenghten Malay economy, so noble with no similar model elsewhere in the world the like of our FELDA and Tabung Haji, so to speak. - Many of us here are wishfully thinking that UMNO can be made strong again. Well, I can see that and have no objection. But have we truly realised what made UMNO weak as it is now? Can the intricating power structure within UMNO be rejuvenated to free it from suffocating the party with the killing corrupt practices?

Recently Abd Aziz Rahman, President of MUBARAK strongly defended TV's attack on TDZ. It was interpreted by many as an indirect attack onTDM.

Hence the meeting held between a group of former UMNO MPs and State Assemblymen whom I presume to be members of MUBARAK, and TDM tend to indicate that something is not right within the association and has raised a pertinent question. Has Aziz got the mandate from the members to make the statement or was he acting unilaterally? The apparent split within MUBARAK will deny DSN solid support from the veterans which he desperately needs to remain in power at least until the next GE 14.

I also wonder whether the former MPs and State Assemblymen were in support of TDM's thinking that DSN must step down immediately.

About Me

I was born in 1947 in Kedah. I came from a rice farming family. I have been a journalist since 1969. I am the Editor-in-Chief of magazine publishing company, Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd. I was Group Editor NST Sdn Bhd and Group Editor-in-Chief of NSTP Bhd between 1988 and 2000. I write fortnightly column “Other Thots” in the Malaysian Business magazine, Kunta Kinte Original in Berita Harian and A Kadir Jasin Bercerita in Dewan Masyarakat. Books: Biar Putih Tulang (1998), Other Thots – Opinions & Observations 1992-2001 (2001), The Wings of an Eagle (2003), Mencari Dugalia Huso (2006), Damned That Thots (2006), Blogger (2006), PRU 2008-Rakyat Sahut Cabaran (2008), Komedi & Tragedi-Latest in Contemporary Malaysian Politics (2009) and Membangun Bangsa dengan Pena (2009).